Linde LienHwa to launch China’s first ultra high-purity Ammonia plant for LED manufacturingInvestments to support electronics in China exceed EUR 50 million in 2010

Trade News

Xiamen, China, 1 December 2010 – Linde LienHwa (LLH) today announced a further strengthening of its commitment to the needs of LED manufacturing with the establishment of an ultra high-purity Ammonia plant in Xiamen City, south-eastern China. This is the first operating plant in China to produce ultra high-purity Ammonia and will supply customers using world leading technology in purification, packaging and analytical metrology. Linde LienHwa (LLH) is a joint venture between The Linde Group and LienHwa MiTAC Group of Taiwan.

The plant, which has a capacity of 500 tonnes per year, produces high-purity Ammonia at 7N (99.99999%) level, helping to increase the supply reliability to customer sites and reduce customers’ manufacturing costs. It is also capable of filling various package sizes, including ISO containers. Based on the plant’s patented technology, Linde is able to further benefit its clients by establishing an on-site purification system if an extra high volume of ultra high-purity Ammonia is required, as is often the case in the LED industry.

The Chinese LED industry is growing rapidly, with the level of investment during 2009 and the first half of 2010 exceeding that of the past several decades. In 2010 to date, China’s new investments in LED chip related projects total over RMB 70 billion (EUR 7.5 billion).

During 2010 Linde has been awarded gas supply contracts with six major LED manufacturers in China, including three Taiwan invested LED fabs in Jining, Suzhou and Changzhi respectively, as well as Neo-Neon in Yangzhou, Focus Lighting Technology in Suzhou and Walsin United Technology in Xi’an.

“In 2010 to date, Linde’s investment in support of electronics in China totals more than EUR 50 million,” commented Andrew Lau, President and General Manager of Linde LienHwa. “Linde LienHwa has achieved some significant customer wins in LED thanks to our proven material supply capability. The new Ammonia plant in Xiamen City further highlights our commitment to serving customers in emerging markets.”

Linde has a long history in the distillation and purification of electronic special gases and has utilised its highly specialised experience to build numerous purification plants. With its most advanced technology – the patented Y-column distillation and purification system - Linde has built, installed and operated such plants at seven different locations around the world supplying a variety of gases, the latest being the Xiamen plant in Fujian Province, China, which started production in November 2010.

About Linde LienHwa (LLH)
In China, Linde LienHwa (LLH), a joint venture between The Linde Group and LienHwa MiTAC Group of Taiwan, is dedicated to the supply of ultra high-purity gases and the delivery of engineering projects and services to the semiconductor, TFT-LCD, photovoltaic and LED industries. LLH provides Chinese industries with a powerful combination of local infrastructure and technology from the market leader in gases and chemical supply.

About The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world leading gases and engineering company with almost 48,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2009 financial year it achieved sales of EUR 11.2 billion. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

In Greater China, Linde is headquartered in Shanghai and has around 50 wholly-owned companies and joint-ventures, and more than 150 operational plants in major industrial hubs across the country, with around 3,000 employees.